"The visit went great, said Gibson, whos ranked the nations No. 13 overall prospect and No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 247Sports Composite for the 2015 class.
Tennessee was high (on my list) already, and now theyre even higher.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Gibson who also visited Oklahoma, LSU, Auburn, Clemson this week before traveling to Tennessee said everything stood out during his first look at the Vols.
I thought (the campus) wasnt even that big, he said. I thought it was, like, a small campus, so that stood out to me. And (I liked) just everything the coaching staff, the football team, the locker room, the weight room. ... Theres not one part I didnt like about Tennessee.
Gibson said Tennessee coach Butch Jones, offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian and wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni all made it clear to him that hes a high priority for the Vols.
(Jones) was just telling me how Id fit in the offense and just telling me, If you need time, just take your time. Were not rushing you or anything like that. Theyre just waiting on me, Gibson said. He told me I (could be) a key part of their offense and a key part of their Dream Team.
Coach Jake said I would fit in the offense great. ... They want to make me throw the ball a lot, and I can respect that, because I dont like running the ball every down. But sometimes theyre going to need me to run the ball, which is a great idea.
Upon arriving in Knoxville on Wednesday night, Gibson discovered that his name had been painted on The Rock located in the middle of Tennessees campus.
Man, thats crazy, he said. That shows that Tennessee really wants me, and they have an awesome fan base and awesome football team. They didnt have a great season last year, but those Volunteers, theyre rowdy about their football team, and thats the type of fan base I like win, lose or draw, a fan base thats going to be there.
Gibson said he said hes planning to finish his road trip with a stop at Florida on Friday. So far, he said, his trips to LSU, Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee have really stood out, and hes hoping to return to Tennessee and LSU for their upcoming spring games.
Tennessee really made a big impact, he said. I believe in Coach Jones dream, because he had the number-three recruiting class in 2014, and I believe in his vision and his dream. Tennessee didnt win many games last year. This year, theyre making a big move now, and I cant wait to watch them play and other schools, as well.
While Gibson recently has gone back and forth on when he will make his college choice, he said hes currently planning to wait several more months before deciding where he wants to play.
After my senior football season and (after) I take my five (official visits), he said, then Ill make my decision.
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